System and method for 3-D projection and enhancements for interactivity

Abstract

A system projects a user-viewable, computer-generated or -fed image, wherein a head-mounted projector is used to project an image onto a retro-reflective surface, so only the viewer can see the image. The projector is connected to a computer that contains software to create virtual 2-D and or 3-D images for viewing by the user. Further, one projector each is mounted on either side of the user's head, and, by choosing for example a retro angle of less than about 10 degrees, each eye can only see the image of one of the projectors at a given distance up to 3 meters, in this example, from the retro-reflective screen. The retro angle used may be reduced with larger viewing distance desired. These projectors use lasers to avoid the need for focusing, and in some cases these projectors use instead of lasers highly collimated LED light sources to avoid the need for focusing.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is: 
     
       1. A head mounted display device, comprising:
 an eyewear frame, including:
 one or more light projectors that are configured to scan one or more light patterns, wherein a portion of the one or more light patterns are visible light that is scanned inward from the eyewear frame onto a retina of one or more eyes of a user, and wherein another portion of the one or more light patterns are non-visible light that is scanned outward from the eyewear in an opposite direction of the retina of the one or more eyes; and 
 one or more sensors that are configured to detect one or more of a hand gesture or a finger gesture of the user based on one or more reflections of the outwardly scanned non-visible light from one or more of a hand or a finger of the user; and 
 
 a user interface that generates a virtual display of one or more interactions of the user with one or more virtual objects based on detection of the one or more of the hand gesture or the finger gesture. 
 
     
     
       2. The head mounted device of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface further comprises:
 providing a three dimensional generation of the virtual display in real time for the user. 
 
     
     
       3. The head mounted device of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface further comprises:
 modifying the virtual display based on one or more of a relative position or an occlusion caused by the one or more virtual objects and a line of sight of the user. 
 
     
     
       4. The head mounted device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 one or more retro reflective lenses for the eyewear frame. 
 
     
     
       5. The head mounted device of  claim 1 , wherein the detection by the one or more sensors further comprises:
 stereoscopically determining a three dimensional image of the one or more of the hand gesture or the finger gesture of the user.